1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to mobile devices. More specifically, the present invention relates to incorporating pixels into the outer housing of a mobile device in order to implement various designs on the outer housing.
2. Background of the Invention
Mobile devices are commonplace in today's society. Currently, there are roughly 3.3 billion mobile subscribers in the world. Around 80% of the world enjoys mobile coverage. Mobile communication is the least of what a mobile device can do today. Many devices are equipped with abilities like text messaging, picture and video messaging, and even an internet connection. The mobile device has become a staple for business and other facets of the community.
As younger generations possess more mobile devices, a need to customize and make them stand out becomes increasingly pervasive. With such a large number of mobile devices and only a limited number of personalized designs for the outer cover, the desire to differentiate one cell phone from another is increasing. Mobile device manufacturers are constantly changing the shape and size of the devices, but the faceplate market keeps up with the technology, producing new looks for the latest mobile devices.
Changing the faceplate is just one method of accomplishing the personalization of mobile devices. It was one of the first methods along with changing the ring tone of the mobile device. This was especially popular because people could tell if their phone was ringing simply by listening to the ring tone. This was clearly not enough for mobile device users as adding light up keys, adding a light up antenna, and changing the color of the device's inner LEDs became popular. Some of these kits were entirely made by third party manufacturers. A lucrative submarket has formed in changing the look of mobile devices that is still growing. Customers purchase and install accessories, making their mobile device unique.
Since color LCDs have become more popular and thus cheaper to manufacture, manufacturers have not been reticent about installing these into their latest mobile devices. In fact, some mobile devices have screens that take up most of the space on the front face of the mobile device. This is most commonly found on personal digital assistant (PDA) devices. These mobile devices also employ touch screens, making the full screen very useful in its applications. Many owners of PDA devices will customize their home screen. This customization includes solid colors, patterns, or even high quality photographs. Most faceplates will not feature high quality photographs mainly due to the lack of durability of a medium capable of holding a high quality photograph. However, the LCD makes this option viable. Another advantage PDA device users enjoy is the ability to make their home screen animated. The LCD screen makes changes instantly and often while running through its software programs, similar to that of a personal computer
However, these methods are still limited in their ability to customize the overall appearance of a device. LCD touch screens provide only an interface to the functionality of the device. What is needed is a way to easily change the appearance of a mobile device such that a user can customize and personalize their own devices at will, or a method of changing the look of the mobile device on demand and with the ability to change its appearance instantly and on the fly.